A joint effort of the VH1 cable network and TV Guide magazine, this five-part series offered a countdown of the 100 greatest musical moments ever telecast. Each episode offered 20 of those moments on a descending scale (i.e. 100-81, 80-61, etc.). Among the highlights, represented via film and video excerpts and eyewitness recollections, were the creation of MTV, Michael Jackson's "Moonwalk," Britney Spears' first appearance on Star Search, the debuts of such musically oriented series as The Monkees and The Sonny and Cher Show, and even such celebrated disasters as Mariah Carey's "strip meltdown" on Total Request Live. The same list appeared both on VH1 and in the pages of TV Guide, though there were a few discrepancies in the rankings. For example, while VH1 had once rated the Beatles' American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show as the number one TV musical event of all time, TV Guide superseded this with Bill Clinton's saxophone solo on The Arsenio Hall Show. The VH1 version of 100 Moments That Rocked TV ran for five consecutive evenings, beginning January 13, 2003.
by Hal Erickson
synopsis
